In 2009, Glendale Water & Power (GWP) started one of its largest utility projects — deploying an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The deployment included upgrading both metering and communications networks for a customer base containing 84,500 electric meters and 32,500 water meters. The city of Glendale, located northeast of Los Angeles, California, U.S., was selected to receive a US$20 million grant from Department of Energy (DOE) toward this approximately $70 million project.

Phased Approach

The entire project has four phases. The first phase is AMI and a meter data management system (MDMS). This includes the installation of a citywide Wi-Fi mesh connected at 13 points to GWP-owned fiber. Water and electric collectors connect to the Wi-Fi mesh and communicate with their respective meters. GWP installed water and electric head-end systems and a new MDMS that interfaces with its customer information system (CIS) and billing system. Also in the first phase, GWP will replace or upgrade all of its water and electric meters to AMI meters, which will communicate through two-way radio and ZigBee communication for in-home devices.

The second phase includes customer programs, in-home displays, pricing programs, thermal storage and demand response.

Finally, distribution automation, divided into phases three and four, will consist of system upgrades to the software supporting distribution automation and hardware upgrades within substations and along distribution feeders.

Project Partners

GWP contracted with Kema Inc. for program management and subject-matter expertise on a broad range of smart grid topics. Itron was selected to provide the MDMS, head-end systems, water and electric collectors, electric meters, water registers and end points. Itron also is supplying substantial professional services in support of the implementation. Utility Partners of America (UPA) was selected as GWP's installation contractor for backhaul and installation of the electric and water meters.

Agilisys has provided information technology support, and North American Power Partners has provided demand-response support. OPower is supplying customer communication about consumption and efficiency. The citywide Wi-Fi system consists of Tropos Wi-Fi radios, purchased from Itron with significant technical support directly from Tropos.

UISOL has been selected to document the current state of GWP's systems and assist in the development of a long-term road map for migrating existing systems to an enterprise service bus and in the installation and integration of a full suite of distribution automation software. The utility also retained the services of Michael Karp & Associates to help put together a customer advisory group, conduct focus groups and coordinate town hall meetings.

Education and Outreach

Launching a turnkey implementation and installation program around smart meters and the smart grid requires heavy emphasis on education and outreach. The smartest part of the smart grid has to be the customer if the project is to yield all of the benefits possible. Customers need to comprehend the new technology, how it affects them, benefits, future rate plans and in-home displays. The program's success hinges on the creation of an effective dialogue with customers to understand and meet their needs and address their concerns while helping them to enjoy the full benefit afforded by the new system.

Customer surveys conducted by GWP at the beginning of the program showed that most customers had positive views about the smart grid, yet few claimed to understand it. Subsequent surveys have shown an increase in understanding while retaining positive sentiment. Conversations with the utility's community advisory panel members have convinced the utility that most customers view the meter exchange as a non-event.

One panel member told GWP, “So you come to my house and change my meters, so what? If not for the door hanger you leave and the fact I have to reset my digital devices, I would not even know you had been there. When I get data about my usage and there are new rates that I can take advantage of, then we will have something to talk about.”

Any negative press about a smart grid project can have a negative effect on all smart grid projects. In town hall meetings, customers have repeated the negative headlines they have read. GWP carefully monitors smart grid news for several reasons. First, to know what problems other utilities are having so it can prevent similar problems. And second, to be able to intelligently discuss the news with customers.

After obtaining the DOE grant, GWP made the $70 million cost of the project public in all outreach and reassured customers their rates were not going to increase as a result of the smart meter implementation. The utility held several community meetings to introduce customers to installation plans and proof of concept, funding sources and future rollout plans.

During the proof-of-concept phase, GWP tested communication plans. It developed an introductory letter, a frequently asked questions (FAQs) brochure, reminder postcards and door hangers. The local media and televised city council meetings, the utility's newsletter, local newspaper and various blogs have been covering the coming of the smart meters to Glendale. Press releases were issued on a monthly basis about the DOE grant, the proof-of-concept phase and installations plans. The utility also held five community meetings in ZIP codes throughout the city to let customers know about the upcoming installations and show them the new meters.

Also during the proof-of-concept phase, GWP held meetings with a wide array of stakeholders — rotary groups, large-business customers, small-business customers, realtors' associations, homeowners' associations, nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce and different city department executives — to inform them of the move to the smart grid and how it would benefit the utility and the community. Then an advisory group, comprised of Glendale residents who represent a wide array of stakeholders, was formed and started meeting on a monthly basis to discuss rollout plans, implementation, customer education and outreach.